by Laura Lane
Currently, Merrick sixth-graders learn in self-contained classrooms led by one teacher. This will change once they begin middle school, where they will be expected to move from classroom to classroom and will be taught by different teachers.
Davidowitz believes one key benefit of departmentalization will be to give sixth-graders a chance to experience what middle school will be like while still in the familiar setting of their elementary school.
"We want to start to introduce the transition for departmentalization in a very warm, nurturing elementary environment," explained Davidowitz. "There will be two teachers who will team teach. We are only increasing the students' teachers by one."
Students' homeroom teachers will teach the first two classes, which will either be science and math or writing and social studies. Then students will go to what is called a "special" (art, music, gym or library/computers), which sixth-graders do now.
The change will come after lunch when students go to a different classroom than their homeroom and study with a different teacher. Davidowitz believes this will not only prepare sixth-graders for their middle-school years, but also improve how they learn.
"This will give equality of time for each curricular area and will ensure that all subjects receive equal importance and more consistency in instruction and assessment," said Davidowitz. "All of the children in both teams will get the same tests, team planning for preparation of how teachers will teach and what they'll teach. For example, if Egyptian mummies is the topic of the day, all classes will work on the same subject matter at the same time and plan together."
Davidowitz is confident that the pilot program will succeed. She said that Chatterton had had departmentalization from 1992 to 2002, and it was beneficial then. But she does plan to ask teachers, parents and children for feedback in a questionnaire.
"I'll ask them in the questionnaire how successful they were in managing their materials with two different teachers, how it worked out for them to take these materials from class to class," said Davidowitz. "Also, how they felt about the accessibility of two teachers instead of one."
Parents from the district's other two schools spoke during the public session at the board meeting, saying that they would like departmentalization at their schools, too. But Superintendent Dr. Ranier Melucci said that wasn't possible until the Chatterton pilot program was proven successful.
The superintendent said district officials would look at the program over the next two years and evaluate it. And, he noted, departmentalization would not change what children learn. "The children will be learning exactly the same thing," he said.
Gina Piskin, a Levy-Lakeside PTA co-president, said, "If it works, I don't think we should wait the two years" before implementing it at the Birch and Levy-Lakeside schools.
Comments about this story? Llane@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
ITAL: Scott Brinton contributed to this story.
